Summer weddings

Although I say to those getting married that they will be married “according to the rites of the Anglican Church”, I also encourage them to thing how they can make the service that reflects their own culture and distinctive individuality.

Three weddings that I have taken in July have been very different: an Ethiopian couple- members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church- came from their service in the Alun Morris Hall, which began at 5.30am, into the Cathedral at 10am accompanied by drums and ladies who sang the bride and groom in. At the wedding of an American couple – he is serving on the US Navy Base – all the men wore checked shirts, jeans and cowboy boots. And most recently a Naval officer from the base, who very happily was remarrying his former wife, wore uniform with members of his department and their wives more traditionally attired! One member of his department is already attending the Cathedral and it was a joy when another asked about service times and turned up the next day, saying that his family was arriving this week.